To:Arts & Science Departments and Programs

OFFICE OF THE DEAN

MEMO

From:Kristi Gourlay, Manager, OSAI

Date: March 14, 2008

Re:Academic Offences and Withdrawal from Courses

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Dear colleagues,

It has come to OSAI’s attention that some students are dropping courses in which a penalty has been imposed by the department for academic misconduct (for assignments worth 10% or less of the final grade).

This is just a reminder that according to the Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters, students are NOT permitted to drop a course in which an offence has occurred and for which a sanction has been imposed. This includes any sanction imposed departmentally for offences worth 10% or less of the final grade.

In order to prevent this from happening, please:

Remind your instructors of this rule, in case a student asks whether dropping the course is an option. Once an offence has occurred, the student must remain in the course.
Please remind students of this rule when you (or the instructor) meet with them to discuss the misconduct.
Please include a sentence that alerts students to this rule in the letter to the student notifying him/her of the sanction imposed for the offence. For example, you might say: “Please note that according to Section C.I.(a) 12 of the University’s Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters ( students may not withdraw from a course in which they have committed an offence and where sanctions have been imposed. If it is discovered that you have withdrawn yourself from the course, you will be reinstated in the course, regardless of how much time has passed.”
Please cc OSAI on the final letter so that we have a record of the offence, and send us a copy along with the attached form. Please note that we are currently working on the creation of a centralized Departmental Database into which you will be able to enter your own cases, which will help the Faculty keep track of repeat offenders.

If it subsequently comes to the attention of you that a student has withdrawn from the course after being sanctioned for an offence, please reinstate them in the course and contact them to inform them that you have done so. If you are unable to reinstate the student yourself, please contact OSAI, and we will take care of it.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns about this lesser known part of the Code and/or the reporting of departmentally resolved cases.

OFFICE OF STUDENT ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

Sidney Smith Hall, 100 St George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3G3 Canada •

Tel: +1 416-946-0428, Fax: +1 416-946-5967, email: